


Pyrrhic Victory

by ThatDamnKennedyKid



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassins, Corporate Espionage, F/M, Hitwomen, OCs - Freeform, post-series finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-10 07:10:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2015787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatDamnKennedyKid/pseuds/ThatDamnKennedyKid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seto vaguely remembered his parents and Mokuba, not at all. Yugi never asked Solomon where his mother had gone after she dropped him off one day and never returned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pyrrhic Victory

**Author's Note:**

> I got irritated that no one seemed to question that Yugi's parents are never around (I know that Mrs. Muto does make, like, three appearances, but she doesn't even look related to Yugi so I'm going to completely ignore her because, really, she doesn't count) or that Seto never seems bothered to find out who his parents are. So, I fixed that. 
> 
> Also, I have invoked FanFiction Powers and Yami/Atem is still in the Puzzle.

"Kaiba? I didn't expect to see you here so early."

The teenage CEO sat down in the small cafe they frequented for these kinds of outings. "When do you usually arrive?"

"About a half hour before the scheduled time. I like to converse with the Pharaoh before you come. Some quiet time, you know?"

"Absolutely."

A young waitress by the name of Tara approached them, smiling indulgently at her most frequent customers. "Hello boys. What can I get you today, hmm?"

"Same as always for me." Yugi smiled. The girl was only about two years younger than he was.

"Ditto. Your dad in today?"

"Yeah, he's in the back." Tara smiled before walking back up being the counter.

"So, you seem more tense than usual."

"What gave me away?" Seto sighed and let his head fall into his hands. "Insurgency in the company is making me nuts. Someone is spreading false information and it's taking up more of my time than I would have ever thought necessary. I can't even have Mokuba deal with it because the complaints are directly at me. God, I just want it all to go away."

Yugi nodded mutely. "Yami wants to know what the complaints are about, exactly. If they're similar, they may have an insurgent in the company, but otherwise, it's on you."

"I've never had this kind of thing happen before. I haven't changed a bit."

"Yami says you should interview the complaining employees and see if you can weed out possible homewreckers."

"Sounds like a good idea, if a long one."

"Here you are, boys. Tara told me you were in and I wanted to say hi."

Derek Andre was the owner of the small cafe they were in. He had bright blonde hair, much like his daughter, and a sunny expression. His skin was relatively fair and his eyes were a purpling blue. Yugi always felt as if he should somehow know the man, but had never mustered up the courage to ask.

"Good to see you again, Derek." Seto greeted with a small, though genuine, smile. "I've mostly seen your wife in lately. Something happen?"

"Youngest was off sick for a bit and I decided to take care of him for my wife. It was just a cold, but it was a nasty one. Besides, Donna likes to work in here from time to time. Changes up her routine, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah. Well, I'm happy Terry is better."

"Thanks. Well, holler if you boys need anything."

"We will, Derek." Yugi smiled back at the retreating man.

It was close to nine by the time they left. They had eaten lightly in the beginning, discussed what was in Seto's mind before they moved onto Duel Monsters, which was a perfect way to wipe away the day's troubles. Seto even won a couple of rounds.

What they could have never anticipated was a lone man walking down the street towards them turning into a ring that encased them with the promise of bullets for an escape attempt.

"What the hell do you want?" Seto asked, bored sounding. Yugi knew his mind was working a mile a minute to think of any possible solution.

"You're just our meal ticket." One of the mercenaries answered.

"You expect a meal out of two scrawny sixteen year olds?" A feminine laugh echoed down the street, but there was no definite source. However, it was rich and silky, melting over the eardrums like warm honey. "You'd have better luck robbing a bank."

"Says the woman who won't even show herself."

"You say it like you wouldn't shoot me if I came out." Came the cutting reply. "Just because I'm female doesn't mean I'm stupid. Far from, actually."

"Shut up."

"What do you even want the brats for? You're not the kind to use them, but they're worthless on the Market."

"Seto Kaiba? Worthless on the Market? Do you even know what you're talking about?"

"And what about his friend, then? What good is a redundantly small boy with a freakish haircut?"

"Pricey is what he is."

Another voice come from an alleyway close by. "Then I suppose we have our answer."

* * *

When they looked back on it, Yugi and Seto were able to piece only about half the massacre together. Much of it happened far too quickly for their minds to process, even though their minds ran much faster than everybody else in Domino City. Even Yami had been of little help, as he had actually garnered  _less_ that Yugi. Collectively, the two tactical geniuses were only able to deduce that their new captors wore dark clothing, were female, and were of juxtaposing heights. 

* * *

"Oh, my head."

Seto blinked awake dimly, nearly being able to feel the lingering drugs in his system tampering with the strange machine that was his brain. "Is the rest of you okay?"

"I think so."

"Seto? Yugi?"

Adrenaline swept his system, eradicating the warm, fuzzed sensation that had been wandering through his body. "Mokuba?"

"Hey!"

"What the-"

Suddenly, two warm, breathing bodies were curled on either side of the CEO. "Mokuba? Yugi? Which one is- OW! Fuck! Okay, this one's Yugi. That fucking puzzle, I swear . . . "

A low feminine chuckle rumbled above them and all three duelists froze up. Instinctually, Seto gathered the younger two closer, shielding them as best he could without being able to see the threat. "Oh, yes. I suppose I would startle you. You're just so adorable sleeping like you were and now all curled together. Hold on a moment, would ya?"

Momentarily, all three were blinded.  When they were finally able to look around themselves without searing pain lancing through their vision, they found themselves in what was, in all actuality, a small, yet kindy and clean, finished basement. As it was, it looked like they were in some sort of rec room which had all of the furniture moved aside to give the three room to sprawl. Leaning against the doorframe, though the door was closed, and next to the lightswitch was a short woman.

Yugi stared at her in awe. 

She had dark skin, like his grandpa, with his own bright, violet eyes. Her hair was long and straight, falling to the curve of her ass. She had the same bangs that Yugi did, only also bearing the same inky purple sheen over the flair of gold. She wore a form-fitting leather dress that was very simply made. It had wide shoulders, though it didn't cover the ball of her shoulder or the rests of her arm. The unremarkable material ended halfway down her thighs. Her wrists and neck proudly displayed the same bondage collars that Yugi wore as well as a silver-gleaming chain-link belt that wrapped several times around her slim hips, despite slipping off to one side. Her shoes were actually heeled stiletto booties which were closed and the same leather as the dress. Small silver spikes were attached along the ankle and down the heel, but nowhere else to speak of. In truth, despite her strange attire (which seemed to suit her), she was a stunning beauty. 

"Sorry for making the meeting like this. We never really wanted it to happen this way." She smiled brightly before moving over and crouching in front of them. 

"What the hell does that mean?" Seto snapped, the only one with enough nerve. Mokuba knew to stay quiet and Yugi was shocked into silence. 

"Well, it's a long story, Seto. And one I think you'd appreciate more once we're both in the room."

"Speak sense!"

The woman huffed a laugh. "She never told me you were  _this_ bad. Psh. Seto, you're a piece of work."

"What gives you the right to call my by my first name?!"

She looked off thoughtfully for a moment. "Fair is fair, I guess." She smiled again, unnervingly undaunted. "My name's Nova."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean to me?"

She stood with a shrug. This close, trained muscles were visible in ripples as she did so. Suddenly, Yugi was afraid. 

_She was one of the women that killed all the assassins._

Yami appeared beside him.  _I think so too. She doesn't look it from afar, but it certainly does come out._

"Well, I have something to do. So, do you boys want something? I'll get you anything but the key to the door."

 _At least she's got a sense of humour._   The Pharaoh mused. 

_Not the time! I need help!_

Nova smiled kindly, almost motheringly, before returning to the door. "Well, I'll see you when we're both back, I suppose."

* * *

All three boys jerked awake from their huddled position in the far corner of the room. Seto had been sleeping upright, Mokuba nestled between his legs and wrapped in one arm while Yugi, who had been trembling, huddled under the protection of the other. 

Nova was back in the room, placing down a tray filled with food and treats. She grinned at them. New, small chains wrapped around each bicep. "Morning, Sleepies! I brought you some food. I also brought the chairs back in so you can eat like civilized people. Oh, and I have an air mattress I've got to blow up and put where you boys are now. Should be more comfortable than sleeping against the wall."

They said nothing, moving to do as she said. 

* * *

They were awake the next time Nova came. However, with her came another dark woman.

She was tall, Seto's height, with dusky bronze skin and onyx hair that shimmered sea green where light struck it, much like Mokuba's. Her eyes, however, gave her away. They were thin and sharp with cutting intelligence and brutal wit. They were a wintery sky blue, shaded by dark bangs. She wore a dark jumpsuit which seemed to uniformly blend into her boots, which were also close-toed stilettos. Black bands were strapped, three apiece, to each shin and each bicep. Along her forearm was a dulled out bracer made of steel and riveted bands. She tossed a sleeveless matching black jacket over a chair, of which there were now five over three.

Nova gestured for them to come to the table, where she was already seated with the much darker woman. Nova's brightness seemed to dim in the slightest little bit, but she still smiled warmly.

"When I told you my name was Nova, I didn't lie to you. However, I was not completely truthful." She took a deep breath. "My name is Nova Muto. And this woman here is my best friend and only colleague, Azha Vega. Well, you might know her better as Azha Kaiba."

Dumbstruck was the best word to describe what they felt. 

"What are you trying to say?" Mokuba whispered. 

Azha gave a small smile. "My, Mokuba. You took after me, didn't you?"

"We're your mothers." Nova sighed, slumping back in her seat. "And, since we had to intervene to make sure you didn't get caught openly this time, we're going to tell you the reasons why you haven't seen us since Mokuba was six months old."

* * *

It was a blur. As soon as boots hit the floor above, Nova ducked them out. She pushed them through a tunnel they hadn't seen before as gunfire echoed after them. They wound up meeting Azha again in the central square, surrounded by the men who had tried to kidnap them earlier only to be thwarted by their current captors. 

"We'll have them, girlies, one way or the other. Just give them up. I might even let you make me a sandwich."

Nova had unhooked her chain belt and let it fall to the ground, only attaching a small loop into one of the straps on her right wrist bracer. With a well-trained snap of her arm, the man who had spoken found his skull concave. 

Azha holstered her guns once they clicked empty and knives appeared in her hand, one of them finding its way up into a man's cranial cavity via under his jaw while his partner had the twin knife forced into his temple. 

A small tug brought Seto's gaze down to his jacket, which was sprayed in blood. Yugi sank down on his haunches, hands gripped mercilessly around the Puzzle. 

 _Aibou. Look._  

Slowly, the duelist's gaze came to rest upon a large gash ripped into Nova's thigh by a stray bullet. The woman continued unhindered, it seemed, as if the blood running down her shapely legs was noting to worry about. Azha, too, showed no signs of discomfort, despite the worsening liquid stains on her black clothing. 

 _We're going to die here._ Seto realized abruptly. He knew why Yugi had crouched. He, too, lowered himself to the ground, dragging Mokuba into his arms and shielding his eyes from the splatter of blood that they realized was mostly their mothers'.  _They're taking bullets for us. We're all going to die here._

* * *

Seto woke slowly to serene quiet. It almost felt like the last four days had never happened. 

However, the quiet background chimes and rings of a hospital  _had_ registered and he sat up, noticing first that he had been changed from his blood drenched clothing. Now, he wore a simple blue button-down with a pair of comfortable white pants. His eyes settled next on Mokuba and Yugi, who were in the room with him, in separate beds, staring blankly at each other. Mokuba was in a cream tee with brown pants the colour of tree bark. Yugi was in a lavender tank top with violet pants.

"Good to see you all awake."

All three snapped around to see none other than Maximilian Pegasus walk out from an adjoining room and take a seat at a small, round table made for one.

"Pegasus?" Yugi spoke this time, asking the man like he was a hallucination.

"Hello." The normally childishly jovial tone he carried was gone, replaced by intensity and worry. "I'm glad to report that you're all unharmed and free to go."

"Did you clothe us?" The tricoloured duelist asked, his voice cracking.

"Indeed. You see, the clothes we found you in were soaked in other people's DNA with a hint of grey matter. I couldn't leave you like that. Kaiba's coat was crimson."

"Well, thanks." Yugi slid gingerly from the bed.

Pegasus sighed. "How much did they get to tell you?"

Seto froze. "Pardon?"

"How much did Azha and Nova get to tell you before the house was stormed? Not much, I imagine." 

'How do you know them?" Mokuba asked, sitting up straighter. 

Pegasus sighed again. "Follow me."

* * *

The room was filled with machines ticking away with the tracking of vital organs. 

Nova was a mess. Her body was torn up all over the place, bullet wounds littering every part of her body. Hanging x-rays close by showed shattered ribs with bullets lodged in them, narrowly missing the heart and lungs. 

Azha had actually fared worse than Yami had hinted. There was evidence of lung and heart failure as well as cranial damage. Both of their bodies were covered in stitches and gauze. Azha's snapped shin bone was visibly poking up underneath her skin, but casting as impossible while the shin muscle was still stitched in so many places. 

Pegasus gazed on with an intensity and worry that all of the boys found disconcerting. 

"Azha Vega was an Egyptian immigrant when I met her. She was fresh off the boat, so to speak. Her mother had been killed in civil unrest demonstrations and her father had recently came off his last stint in the Egyptian army. He moved them to Japan to protect her. As soon as he had his citizenship, her father moved back into the army life. Azha was mostly alone, again. She lived in a small apartment with two bedrooms in a slum that is now the suburb district that the Kame Game Shop is in. She had been a streetfighter and entered illegal underground fighting competitions. She didn't need the money, because she hardly even used it to feed herself. At the time, she had barely breached four feet tall. When she came to the school, she couldn't speak our language. The first and only person to approach her was another small girl by the name of Nova Muto, who dressed like a thirteen year old hooker, despite being the definition of innocence. It was Nova who taught her our language and helped her catch up in the school year. Truth be told, while I was in their classes, I knew next to nothing about them aside from the rumours."

"My mother is Egyptian?" Mokuba peered over the bed railings at the woman laying near-comatose and at death's door. 

"Yes." Pegasus continued. "I met them in grade six. Several much larger children from the high school neighbouring our elementary took it into their heads that bullying me would be a good laugh. They hit me once."

"And?" Yugi prompted. 

"Azha beat the shit out of them. I don't know where she learned her martial arts, likely she doesn't either, but she hospitalized them until the next school year started. Nova dragged me out of the fray and looked after me as I watched Azha, four foot three at the time, break a boy with two feet and her height doubled's kneecaps. In that moment, she scared me horribly. They never hit her once, either. She was too fast, too volatile. That was the day that I became friends with the two of them. We were inseparable until the summer of our elementary graduation. I was pulled away for the summer by my parents and dragged all across Europe, where I met my beloved Celia. When I came back for grade nine, Nova had definable muscles and dressed in more leather than ever with the new additions of steel chains. Azha had exploded over our separation and was now six foot two. During grade nine, we met another strange boy by the name of Derek Andre, who would be the newest addition to our group. That was also the same year that Azha's father died in the line of duty. From what I know, she jumped into the hacking business and made a name for herself, as well as expanding her reputation as a ruthless fighter and elitist martial artist. She did everything illegal there was. When she turned sixteen, she got an offer from a twenty year old businessman named Gozaburo Kaiba to join his elite ranks. She took Nova with her and there they worked as hackers until they finished school. After that, they became what Gozaburo deemed 'corporate espionage agents'. Over the summer I was gone, Azha had taught Nova everything she knew, including martial arts and hacking. That lead them down the road they're on now."

"I married Derek right out of high school and he worked with my father to run Kame while I was gone." Nova whispered hoarsely, her violet eyes blinking in awareness, but stifled by painkillers. "Sorry to interrupt."

"Just get some rest, Nova-dear." Pegasus cooed back, moving over to her and brushing back the purple-black hair from her face. She was asleep again soon enough.

"Is she that resilient?" Yugi questioned quietly. 

Pegasus nodded. "As part of their hiring contract, they had to undergo torture resistance training. Unfortunately for them, that means they have a high drug tolerance. They have enough sedatives in them right now to knock out a moose, yet Nova still manages consciousness." He shook his head fondly. "Gozaburo was never kind enough to those girls."

"Derek Andre is my father?" Yugi whispered in horror. That small voice, weak with emotion, kicked in Seto's brotherly instinct and he wrapped an arm around Yugi's shoulders, bringing him in closer. "The man I see every time I go to buy coffee is my  _father_ and I didn't  _know_."

"Who's our father?" Mokuba asked. 

"And here is where the story takes a darker turn." Pegasus sighed. 

* * *

_"How did it go?"_

_Azha ignored her friend. Nova pouted._

_"Earth to Azha! I asked you a question!"_

_A soft smirk was all she got in reply as the Egyptian moved around the kitchen, cleaning up after their dinner._

_"Oh! That good, huh?"_

_"That's what you got from that?" Derek uttered, flabberghasted._

_Pegasus just shook his head, a merry smile playing on his lips. "You have to be them, Derek."_

_Nova ignored them both. How, they didn't know, as she was perched on Derek's lap. "Okay, so, you've been dating this guy for six months now. Are you going to tell me his name?"_

_"Riki."_

_Nova squealed and jumped up, her bare feet slapping noisily on the ground as she jumped. "Finally! So, are you going to tell me?"_

_"I did."_

_"No, about the date!"_

_"Same as always."_

_"I don't even know what the usual is!"_

_The friends all laughed collectively at Nova's expense, who pouted even more._

_"Do you know what he does?"_

_"We agreed to trade that information if we chose to get more serious." Azha replied softly. "I'm not going to lie to him only to stay with him and him find out I lied."_

_"I couldn't imagine what I would feel like if my little Nova lied about her life as a hitwoman."_

_She elbowed him sharply, but not enough to break anything, as they all knew she could. With that one move, she could have killed him. "Shut up, Derek!"_

_He chuckled and leaned back in his chair, the two men just observing the women bickering._

* * *

_"Kaiba."_

_"Run that by me again?" Nova sputtered, trying not to spew her tea everywhere._

_"Kaiba."_

_"No, no. The part about Riki being Gozaburo's younger brother."_

_"There's that."_

_"Are you nuts?! He's our boss' younger brother."_

_"Yes, he is. And I had no idea that was the case when I agreed to marry him."_

_"I guess that means I'm planning the wedding.'_

_Both women and a silent, shocked Derek looked over at Pegasus, who grinned slyly and broadly at them._

_"At least it'll be tasteful."_

_"Azha!"_

_"Nova!"_

_"Arghhumph!"_

_"Eheh heh."_

_"Totally not funny!"_

_"Kinda is."_

* * *

"Riki Kaiba was the better looking of the two brothers and the younger. He was a better speaker and much more charming. He couldn't run the company worth shit so he let Gozaburo, who was much more talented in that field, handle it. He, instead, was the Human Resources department head and the Public Relations spokesperson. Azha met him in the grocery store while looking for peas and lettuce." Pegasus nodded thoughtfully and added as an afterthought. "Coincidentally, she craved peas with Seto and lettuce with Mokuba."

"I didn't need to know that." Yugi murmured.

"How did Gozaburo react when he found out?" Seto asked. 

Pegasus sighed. "Not good, I'm afraid. Despite being the fiance of a beautiful woman with platinum hair, he wanted Azha. I don't know why, persay, but if I were to hazard a guess, it was because she was only factor he couldn't control. Nova was Azha's follower, her underling. Azha was a challenge and Gozaburo wanted to tame her. To find out that not only was his quarry disappearing from his range but to find that the brother he envied had taken the prize angered him to no end."

"And Azha?"

"She didn't care. She figured Gozaburo thought she was after the Kaiba money, for which she held no affection. She genuinely loved Riki. She'd never actually dated anyone, only perused easy sexual partners that were never around for more than a week. We knew that once she knew his last name, she was there to stay. It was Nova who told me about the CEO's desire for her."

"Sounds like Gozaburo." Mokuba sighed, looking back at the woman who had saved his life. "I feel bad for her."

"I did too. Nova feared the worst for her." 

* * *

 

_Derek and Pegasus sat up when the front door closed. Riki came in from the kitchen, Mokuba dozing against his chest as Yugi and Seto ran between his legs, anxious for the treats in his free hand._

_Derek broke the ice. "So?"_

_Nova shook her head._

_"He's going to try and break us." Azha answered brutally. "And he's going to start at home. He threatened us with taking away our children. And then your 'disappearance'."_

_Nova rolled her muscled shoulders restlessly. "He gave us one final contract with two parts. One is the destruction of a factory in Germany. The second is an assassination."_

_"Of who?" Pegasus asked._

_Azha finally met her husband's eyes._

_Riki sighed and set the plate down, distracting the two older boys from the dark conversation going on above them. "Nova, I think you and Derek need to talk. Max, I need you to go."_

_Pegasus stood and nodded, his unflinching cheerfulness now muted into silence. "Tell me what you need and I will do what I can."_

_"Thank you." Azha replied._

_"Azha."_

_She met his eyes once more._

_"We'll get through this, okay?"_

_"No. We won't."_

* * *

 

_Pegasus looked up from the paperwork on his desk to find that it was Derek who threw himself into the chair before him. He cocked his head._

_"She ended it. Told me to move to the next city over and start another family. She wouldn't tell me why."_

_"Because Gozaburo will try to kill you."_

_"She's taking Yugi."_

_"She's going to hide him."_

_"She should let me take him. If I'm going, shouldn't I take the boy?" Derek finally looked at his friend and stopped dead. "What is it, Max? Pegasus?"_

_Mutely, he slid across the morning paper._

_"Riki . . .'_

_"Azha shot him in his office late last night. Point blank, heart shot. Poetic, really. They have warrants out for both Azha and Nova at Gozaburo's request and he has a hit out on their families via darker relations."_

_Derek tossed the paper back onto the desk, ready to vomit. "I'm going to get packed."_

_"I think that's a good idea. I'll have a house that you can afford and a job ready for you at the end of next week."_

_"Thanks."_

_"Don't worry about it. Concentrate on moving forward. And hide your wedding ring."_

_"You don't think I can get rid of it?"_

_"I know you can't."_

_Derek smiled humourlessly. "I guess you know me better than I thought."_

_"Goodbye, Derek."_

_"See ya, Max."_

* * *

 

_"Hello, Max."_

_"Hello, ladies. Come in."_

_Azha and Nova followed the eccentric man into the ugly works of his company, surrounded by computers and broken machinery. "As much as I would like to, I can't house you without putting you to work. That's more than a little dangerous. For now, I'm assigning you as personal hackers. I'll give you a week to remove any traces of yourselves and then I'll send you missives for things I need completed."_

_"That's more than we could ask of you."_

_"Thank you, Max."_

_Pegasus nodded, watching the two killers descend into the computerized labyrinth beneath his compound, 'Duelist Kingdom'. "Godspeed, ladies."_

* * *

 

The clatter of a startled nurse dropping her clipboard snapped the four from their thoughts. "Sirs, you can't-"

"Max! I got your call. What the hell happened?"

Pegasus didn't turn, only cocking his head to the side. "Ah, Derek. It's been some time."

"I'm glad you got to them in time." Yugi had stiffened considerably since the voice echoed down from behind the billionaire. Seto was more tense with anticipation of the harsh reunion rather than his own dread. "How is she?"

"It's both of them, actually."

"Azha's down too? Holy shit. Can I see them?"

"They're not in critical anymore. Those girls are amazingly resilient. However, before you see them-"

"Max! Derek! Good. Are they alive?"

Pegasus nodded to the completely foreign voice. "Yes, they are. Now, before either of you see them, I have something to show you." He moved to the side, revealing the familiar cafe owner and a stranger with silky, untamed earthen brown hair. Purple eyes widened in stayed shock. 

"Seto? Yugi? What are you boys doing here?" Derek's brow furrowed. "And you must be Mokuba."

"I am." The youth answered. 

"Derek, do you know Yugi?"

"Not too personally, but I see him around a lot, yeah."

"You read the newspaper?"

"Yeah."

"This is the King of Games and reigning Duel Monsters champion, Yugi  _Muto_."

Ruby eyes narrowed in thought before they blew up in horror. "You mean . . ."

"Riki, I would like you to meet the Kaiba Corp CEO, Seto, and his little brother and Vice President to the company, Mokuba." Pegasus continued. 

"My boys . . ." The earthen-toned man breathed, a watery smile playing at his lips. Suddenly, they found themselves wrapped in his arms, crushed against his broad chest. "My boys . . . You're alive . . ."

"What else would I be?" Seto snapped before thinking it through. Mokuba froze in horror beside him. Riki, however, laughed. 

"You're just like her. Through, that always was the case, Seto." Riki pulled them closer. 

"You're dead." Mokuba whispered. "You were shot. You should be dead."

"You know about that, huh?' Riki stepped back, though he kept a hand on each of their shoulders. "Well, I'll have to save that story for later. Tell me about everything I missed."

"You don't regret abandoning us?" Mokuba hissed, voice heated with sudden fire. Riki knelt down and took Mokuba's hands in his own.

"No. I did what I had to do to keep you alive. What I regret is that I wasn't able to watch you grow up and become who you are today."

"We wouldn't be this way if we'd have had a family." Seto retorted coldly, though his analytical side completely understood the calculated risk his parents had taken on their behalf. 

Riki smiled. "Who  _did_ adopt you? I'm curious."

"I got us a meal ticket with Gozaburo Kaiba."

"No shit." Riki laughed. "Wow. He had you all along. Hidden in plain sight. Nice."

"It wasn't intentional."

"That makes it even better." Riki smiled softly. "I don't blame either of you for hating me. I don't expect you to suddenly call me Dad again or love me unconditionally. I can't ever expect that. All I ask is that you give your mother a chance. She's done nothing but protect you as much as she could."

Yugi and Derek watched the three Kaibas. They both knew that even if Nova came back into their lives, they would never be the same. Derek had his own family, separate from the Mutos, and that he was completely content there, as much as he loved his childhood friend. Yugi was his biological son, yes, but they were friends, of a sort, and their relationship simply couldn't change. It wouldn't change, even if they tried, only strain it. Nova would be the bridge between their worlds, but their relationship didn't even have the faint light of family reunion on the horizon like the Kaibas did. As Derek and Yugi's gazes met, they silently agreed on those terms, standing more comfortably with Pegasus between them.

* * *

In the cafeteria of the hospital, three weeks after their initial meeting, Riki, Derek, Seto, Mokuba and Yugi were all seated around their daily table, laughing. 

"Really?" Yugi wheezed out.

"Yeah!" Derek snorted. "She wore a nude bathing suit and ran. It was the best prank."

"Sounds like it." Riki chuckled, one arm draped around the back of Mokuba's chair, the other, brushing Seto's back. Over the three weeks they had constantly in Riki's presence, the Kaiba brothers were warming up to their adoptive father's easy company. As Pegasus had said, the man was warm and charismatic and answered all of their questions to the best of his ability. He'd even helped Seto with paperwork he brought with him to the hospital and Mokuba's homework. Seto had even opened up, in the silence of the late-night hospital, about the abuses Gozaburo had him under, as well as the revelation of Noah. He told Riki all about Mokuba and his own adventures. Yugi had done the same with Derek, but more subdued, and on more of a friendly level than a loving one. It was an enhancement to their relationship over a repair, like the Kaibas. 

Mokuba yawned, leaning into Riki's nearly inhuman physical heat. "Nii-sama? Can we take Riki home tonight and sleep there?"

Seto shrugged. "I don't see why not. Tired?"

"Yeah. I haven't laughed this much in a long time."

"I should probably get home too. Grandpa should just be getting ready for bed." Yugi excused himself, standing and stretching. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

"You too, Yugi." Seto called. The duelist tossed him back a smile and accepted Derek's offer of a ride home. 

"So, I get to see where you guys live? I'm honoured." 

Seto produced a little smile. "Yeah. Grab Mokuba. I'll get the car."

"Sure."

As the CEO's white coat disappeared, Mokuba spoke, voice laden with tired satisfaction. "This is a good sign."

"Oh?"

"Seto doesn't leave me alone anywhere he doesn't trust. If he left you alone with me like this, this is a huge sign of trust between you. He's really coming around."

"You're helping a lot with that, aren't you?"

"He doesn't say it, but even he needs to be himself for a little while. This is genuinely unhealthy, has been for some time, and maybe you can break him from it."

"With any luck."

* * *

Pegasus called Riki and Derek, along with their newfound sons, to a small restaurant which promised discreet service. Seto recalled it from Gozaburo's days. He used to conduct shady business here. Seto had made sure Mokuba never came and hadn't returned since the tycoon's death. He wondered what use Pegasus would have of the place. 

They were lead back into an expensive private room, where they found Pegasus waiting with two others, draped in heavy coats. 

"Hey, Max. What's up?" Riki settled himself down comfortably, though his unease with the dark place showed. 

"I'm here to update you on the girls." Pegasus replied. "They've been released. They heal surprisingly well."

"Azha was back to work a month after Mokuba, so I can't say I'm surprised." Riki answered. 

* * *

Two hours later seen the small group back at the Kaiba Mansion. The two cloaked figured disrobed, revealing the stitched and bruised bodies of Azha and Nova. Five accusing stares snapped to Pegasus. The designer shrugged it off. 

"It is a discreet restaurant, yes, but that will not stop them from turning in two well-known criminals that INTERPOL has been chasing for decades."

Riki and Derek's expressions screwed up. "We never had problems with police or INTERPOL while we were married."

"Gozaburo turned us in." Azha interrupted. "That's why he wanted our families first. He wanted personal leverage and INTERPOL was a convenient jailor."

"Everything you did you did on KaibaCorp payroll, though!" Mokuba burst out. "There's no way he could have turned you in for something illicit he  _payed you to do_."

Azha smiled. "Absolutely. So, he didn't pay us for the attack on the German factory or Riki's assassination. Speaking of which . . ." The Egyptian turned a scalding glare onto her husband. "Explain."

Riki looked nervous and sheepish. "I knew when you were coming. I had taken an injection before I left home for the office that would slow my heart rate to just under one BPM for twelve hours. With the help of the mortician and a couple of favours, I managed to hide myself in Tokyo. I worked as a television broadcast manager."

"And you never thought to tell me that?"

"If I  _had_ told you, would you have done what you did? Would you have been able to carry on so vehemently knowing that somewhere, I was alive?"

Azha stalked forwards, her icy blue eyes alight with a dark flame. "I've lived for fourteen years with your death on my shoulders. I've had to look and see you in our sons every time I shielded them from Gozaburo." Riki restrained himself from backing up and braced himself instead. Azha had never used the full extent of her training against him, but he had no doubts that she would now. At least, he didn't doubt that he had pushed her that far. Instead, he found himself with his arms full of her. Her face pressed into his shoulder and she simply breathed him in, hands coming to caress the familiar brown strands of silk. A silent tremour wracked her body as she clung to him. Hesitantly, Mokuba moved over to her. 

"Mom? Are you okay?"

The lanky woman dropped to her knees very suddenly, snatching Mokuba and pulling him tight against her. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she just held him there, her talented muscles keeping him locked in an embrace that only Seto had ever enveloped him in. All of the hard muscle, he was familiar with. Seto himself was made of hard-won definition on his lean frame and their mother was no different. The only difference was the press of soft flesh against his chest from hers. Seto had done everything he could have possibly done to make sure that Mokuba was well cared for and gave him as much attention as his job allowed him, but there was something about the maternal affection that made Mokuba release all of the fear and shock and terror that possessed him since his last abduction. He began to cry and lowered himself more firmly into her embrace. 

"Mokuba?" Seto's concern overrode his CEO facade and he took an uncertain step closer, unsure if these tears were from the simple stress of the last month and a half or she was hurting him. Mokuba didn't answer, but Azha lifted an arm, leaving an opening to join them, there on the ground. 

For a moment, his world froze. Did he want to crawl over to her like an overgrown child, even though she was a complete stranger? Yes, he did. His six-year-old self urged him to, recalling a sense of warmth, serenity and safety inside the strong limbs. Another part of him, the man that had been built out of the ruins of a childhood and thrust into the adult world without mercy, demanded he remain stoic and wary, as if she was a business partner searching out for his flaws. The two sides warred until a third emerged, timid and new. It was the inner self he had hidden for Mokuba, the side that had changed his diapers, taught him to walk, speak and run, the side that had been left in a secret corner, untainted by the world beyond his younger brother and innocent to a fault. It whispered, its gentle voice overwhelming the other two. It softly cooed that while gentle, motherly protection was no longer a requirement, it was something he had been sorely missing. A hole in his heart was made apparent, and the third voice knew that it needed to be healed before its stoney gap encased his whole heart. 

* * *

Yugi had no idea what happened in the twisted mental machinery of Seto's mind, but he knew the moment his decision had been made. He slowly paced forwards, body loose and pliant, before sinking to his knees in front of Azha and letting her absurdly strong arms take him in. He didn't hug her back, like Mokuba, but somehow, it seemed like she knew Seto would be the harder of the two to ease into. Instead, he wrapped his lengthy limbs around Mokuba, letting his brown head rest against Azha's breast. Riki smiled at the scene. As much as he had bonded to the boys, nothing was like a mother's love. She was the key back into their lives. He settled behind his reunited family and held Azha, who had stopped crying. 

"I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time." Nova murmured, a matching smile gracing her lips. She pulled Yugi under one pale arm as naturally as if she'd been there his whole life. Somehow, she wasn't nearly as awkward as Derek and he just let her hold him.On her other side, Derek took a hold of her hand.

"How's your new family, Derek?"

"Good, good. They've been asking where I've been going a lot lately. My son asked to come along, but I couldn't let him."

She nodded easily, squeezing his hand before letting it go. "Don't worry, Derek. I still love you, and you probably still love me, but we're done. I accepted that some time ago. We may never be lovers again, but I would love to be your friend again. Maybe even visit that little cafe, introduce myself to your wife." She winked. 

Derek laughed. "Yeah. I'd like that too."

"So, my little King of Games, you'll have to teach me how to play." 

Yugi looked up at Nova, who was still a couple inches taller than him. Her stunning smile was enough to melt his heart. He threw his arms around her, burying his face on her neck and muttering "Yes, yes. Of course." between his hiccuping sobs. She stroked the spikes of his hair and kissed his forehead. 

"Awesome. I can't wait."

"What about INTERPOL?" Derek asked abruptly. 

"We've assembled a case file on Gozaburo that we're going to use in our own defense. Our job descriptions, if you look on company record, are as 'Personal Assistants'. Nowhere in the paperwork did he have us sign that we were going to be military-grade espionage agents and illegal hackers. Assassins was most certainly not in there." Azha answered. "Max has a lawyer he's planning to use on our behalf."

Pegasus shrugged again. "I'd do anything for you girls. You know that. After all, with all the work you did for me all these years, I owe you more than I can possibly repay."

"We got our families back, mostly." Nova grinned. "What more could we ask of you?"

Pegasus laughed lowly. "I don't know. Anyway, I will leave now. I have a new card set coming out and I'm falling behind."

"I'll hold back the new Duel Disks so you don't seem late, if you want the extra time." Seto murmured from Mokuba's hair. 

The billionaire started. "I might take you up on that offer, Kaiba-boy."

Seto grunted and curled up tighter in his white jacket around Mokuba. Azha chuckled at the use of her own response used by someone else. "You can all stay here the night. We'll do better tomorrow."

* * *

"Yugi's got a girlfriend!" Joey yelled across the square, intending to make the smaller duelist flush. Instead, what he got was a shit-eating grin. 

"Hey guys. I'd like you to meet someone really special." Yugi looked full to bursting with positive energy, more than usual. 

"You're Joey, right?" 

He started in confusion, but took the outstretched hand. "Yeah."

"My name's Nova." The woman grinned. 

"She's my mom."

Tristan's jaw hit the floor. "Wha?"

"Yup." Yugi beamed proudly.

"Wow. You look just like your son, Mrs. Muto."

Nova laughed. "Do I really look that old? Call me Nova. You're Tea, right?"

Yugi's boyhood crush gasped. "Do you know all of our names?"

"I think I do." She looked at them. "There's you, Joey, Tristan, Duke, Serenity, Seto, Mokuba and Yami."

"You know about Yami?"

"Yeah." Yugi was practically bouncing. "She hit it off really well with the Pharaoh. They're like best friends."

"He said I had a natural strategic talent." Nova added thoughtfully. 

"Wow. That's a huge compliment coming from the Pharaoh." Duke replied. 

"Well, at least I know why you seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth." Joey laughed. 

"Why don't you guys join us? That is, if you have nothing else you've got to do." Nova offered. 

"Sounds like a plan!" Serenity laughed, latching onto the woman's other side. Nova smiled indulgently and they continued walking. 

A few blocks away, Riki and Mokuba were in an ice cream shop with the boy's friends. Azha and Seto were back home, bonding over a sparring lesson.

It was not conventional, by any means, but it was theirs, and they would be damned if anything were to separate them now. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Shit. I can honestly say I never thought this would get so much attention. Thank you, guys! I love you all!


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